KOBE EARTHQUAKE REPORT

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KOBE EARTHQUAKE REPORT

• By Kimberley Stimson
• 9E

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Contents!

• Introduction
• Why do earthquakes occur?
• Map of Plates.
• Tectonic setting!
• Where is Kobe?
• What is Kobe like?
• Possible and actual effects.
• Why were some areas more damaged than others?
• How did the residents respond?
• Survival kits
• Living with earthquakes.
• How could the impacts of earthquakes be reduced?
• Conclusion
• Bibliography
• Pictures

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Introduction

• In this presentation, there will be information
  on Kobe earthquake, and how to prevent there
  being such a big impact in the future.
• Kobe earthquake happened at 546 am (local time),
  January 17th 1995.
• Its epicentre was in Awaji Island, very close to
  the densely populated areas.
• The earthquake lasted just 20 seconds, but this
  short time left tragedy.

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Why do Earthquakes occur?

• Most Earthquakes are caused by Plate Tectonics.
• They can occur due to four different actions of
  plates
• Destructive margins, Collision margins,
  Constructive margins and Conservative margins.
• The one that affects Kobe area is the Destructive
  margin, this is when 2 plates move towards each
  other.
• As one plate is heavier than the other, that
  plate is forced downwards.
• As it does so, pressure increases, which can
  cause extremely violent earthquakes. At the same
  time, the heat caused by the friction turns the
  plate going downwards into magma.

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Map of Plates
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Tectonic setting!
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Where is Kobe?

• Kobe is situated on the coast of Osaka Bay,
  Japan.
• To the South of the Rokko Mountains.
• West of the Osaka Plain.
• Kobe is about 300 miles from Tokyo.
• The area has a complicated geology,
• full of faults and folds.
• The major faults are Gosukebashi
• fault, The Ashiya fault, and the Koyo
• fault.

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What is Kobe like?

• Kobe is a small, historic city, with few tall
  buildings, it has a congested centre.
• There are very wealthy areas such as Sannomiya,
  and very poor parts, like Nagata Ward.
• There are old and new wooden houses, concrete
  buildings and steel-framed buildings.
• There are about 9000 manufacturing industries.

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Possible and actual effects

• People 5,466 dead, 2 missing,36,820 injured
• Houses 100,026 destroyed, 85,957 severely
  damaged, 37,826 partially damaged
• 549 public buildings damaged
• 3,115 other buildings damaged
• 1,200,000 houses with no water
• 1,000,000 houses with no electricity
• 857,000 houses with no gas
• 285,000 phone lines not working

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Possible and actual effects

• 130 km of railway network closed
• Shinkansen Express cut off between Shinoska and
  Himeji
• Two artery lines partly closed
• Hanshin Expressway closed
• Meishin Expressway partially closed
• 27 roads damaged
• Damage to ports at Kobe and Ashiya
• Normally the effects wouldnt be so bad, but
  because Kobe residents werent expecting it, and
  the town was not prepared, there was not much
  hope.

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Why were some areas more damaged than others?

• There was more damage in some areas because in
  some towns, the buildings were made of wood
• Not only did this make the buildings collapse
  easily, they also caused major fires
• In other areas, they were prepared for
  Earthquakes, which occur quite often some parts
  of Japan.
• There were well-built roads and houses, with
  residents that were prepared, this meant that
  less damage was made.
• Those that werent expecting a Earthquake were
  devastated, but those that were ready for it were
  mostly OK, even though the Earthquake had roughly
  the same force in both places

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How did the residents respond?

• The residents of Kobe faced problems like trying
  to get food, water and blankets to protect
  themselves from the cold.
• Few people had gas, electricity or telephone
  service.
• But many years of Earthquake practice meant
  people knew how to cope
• The government immediately activated the Disaster
  Relief Law, and rescue activities were arranged.

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How did the residents respond?

• Thousands of rescue workers were sent out, as
  well as many forms of emergency transport.
• Evacuation centres were set up and hotels were
  used as temporary lodgings.
• On January the 18th, the Self Defence forces
  prepared 80000 meals, another 15million meals
  were received through the food agency of the
  Ministry of Agriculture.

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Survival kits

• Each house in earthquake affected areas has a
  survival kit. If someone gets trapped in the
  house, then there are a few things to keep them
  alive for a few days, until they are rescued. The
  things in a survival kit are
• Food and drink
• Toilet replacement bags
• A Swiss army knife
• A first aid kit
• Gloves, masks and safety goggles
• A torch and spare batteries
• A pack of cards, a little radio

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Living with Earthquakes

• Japan is often having Earthquakes, and always
  will have them
• This is because it is situated right where two
  Plates meet
• The people who live in Japan have to just get on
  with their lives and be ready for any Earthquake
  that might hit
• They build the houses so that they wont collapse
  very easily if there is an Earthquake
• But they just live with it, or they move to a
  different part of the world
• But not all of Japan is as prepared as this, as
  they do not get Earthquakes so often, but if
  there is one, then theres trouble

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How could the impacts of Earthquakes be reduced?

• The Government paying a bit more towards the
  improvement of the quality of buildings, because
  that would mean that most buildings would be more
  likely to withstand the force of the earthquakes
• Towns having more earthquake drills to make sure
  residents have plenty of practice, hopefully this
  will make them more calm in a real quake too
• If towns are not built on an area where two
  plates meet, there will still be an earthquake
  but there will be nothing there for nature to
  destroy.
• But we will never stop earthquakes altogether, no
  matter how much we know about them, so its best
  that you get a well-built house and just live
  with it, or move somewhere else

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Conclusion

• Kobe Earthquake killed thousands of people, and
  this is because the town was not prepared enough.
• The fault was not known of, and as Kobe and its
  residents did not expect an earthquake,
  obviously, everything went wrong.
• I think the town of Kobe will have learnt a
  valuable lesson and will be prepared in the
  future.
• Many lives could have been saved if the buildings
  were stronger and the residents were more
  equipped.

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Bibliography

• Internet
• Books
• Encarta
• Videos
• Sheets

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Pictures!